Specter Litt Up
by stwrites214
Summary: What if Louis didn't take Donna and Harvey's new relationship so well? Pure fluff, just a one-off alternate version of "the morning after." Post 8x16. Established Darvey.


_The Morning After_

Harvey awoke to the sun streaming through the large glass windows, warming his face. He stirred, breathing in slowly and deeply as his brain awakened and assessed his surroundings. Something felt different, strange, but in a good way.

Suddenly, it all came back to him: the ethics hearing; his conversation with Samantha; the too-slow speed of the cab as he desperately made his way to Donna's apartment; the look on her face when she opened the door; the feel of her skin against his as they made love over and over through the night.

Harvey opened his eyes and propped himself up on one elbow. A beautiful redhead lay next to him, her hair splayed on the pillow. The sunlight shone directly on her face, giving her a heavenly glow. Harvey took a slow, deep breath, drinking all of her in, his heart filling with too many emotions to count. Awe. Fascination. Anxiety. Vulnerability. Happiness. The past twenty-four hours felt like a dream, but perhaps if he just lay still, he would never have to wake up.

Donna began to stir and his breath caught in his throat as he waited to hear her first words of the day.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you it's impolite to stare?" Donna teased, her eyes still closed.

Harvey moved slightly beside her, a grin creeping over his face. "I can't help it," he answered just as playfully, "not when I wake up next to the woman of my dreams."

Donna finally opened her eyes and found herself staring back into a pair of sparkling brown eyes. She could not resist continuing to mess with him.

"It's kind of creepy, actually," she grimmaced.

"Really?" Harvey said in mock disbelief, his head propped up on an elbow. "I thought it was romantic," he whispered, leaning over her. He brushed his lips softly against hers, sending shivers down both their spines.

"Any regrets?" he asked, after pulling away.

Donna shook her head slowly. "No. You?"

"Only that we didn't do this sooner." Harvey's looked at her hungrily, his eyes searching hers for a sign she felt the same.

They spent the next several moments staring into each other's eyes, saying nothing and everything all at the same time. Finally, Harvey sighed.

"As much as I would love to spend all day in this bed," he murmured, "if one or both of us don't show up in the office in an hour, people will start to wonder why. Louis is going to want all hands on deck to protect the firm and its reputation."

Donna sighed back, and addressed the elephant in the room. "And I suppose you want to keep this a secret for a while?"

"Yes," Harvey admitted, "but not because I'm embarrassed or ashamed." He leaned in and kissed her again, leaving her breathless. "I just want you all to myself for a while," he whispered.

"In that case..."

Half an hour later, Harvey was calling Ray from a warm bed. As he hung up, he heard the shower turn on in Donna's master bathroom. He smiled to himself, thinking how much he wanted to join her. To spend the day with her, forgetting all about the events that had built and boiled and led to his emotional epiphany. But he had been right the first time: Louis was going to want everyone to give everything they had to protect the firm from the newest scandal of another named partner violating the code of ethics. As difficult as it arwas going to be, they needed to put their personal lives on hold for the day while they tried to keep the firm together.

Harvey tossed the covers off and looked around for his boxers, which had somehow landed across the room. He then gathered the rest of his clothes and quickly dressed, shaking his head. It had been a long time since he was the one leaving in the same clothes as the night before. But today, he didn't care if the whole world noticed. Today, he was the happiest man on the planet.

By the time Donna was out of the shower, Harvey had brewed a pot of coffee and was waiting for her with two steaming hot mugs. He sat down at her kitchen table to wait, his tie draped loosely around his neck, top buttons of his dress shirt unbuttoned. A few minutes later, Donna sauntered out of the bedroom wearing his favorite blue sleeveless dress and he could not stop his lips from curling up into a goofy smile. Returning the smile, Donna leaned over the table as she took her coffee cup.

"Wow, he even makes coffee," she teased, kissing him softly.

Harvey was reminded of a long-ago dream in which Donna made him coffee and he thanked her with a lingering kiss. He had never known how much better reality could be. Until now.

Their fairy-tale morning was sharply interrupted by repeated rapping on the door. Harvey's eyes met Donna's and their minds instantly went to the one person who would show up here, today, this early in the morning.

"Louis!" Donna exclaimed, opening the door. She held it close against her side and leaned against the doorframe, trying to prevent him from seeing - or worse, entering - the rest of the apartment. "What are you doing here?"

"Wondering why the hell you aren't in the office yet," Louis demanded. "I've been texting you all morning, and Harvey, too. Harvey I expect to ignore me, but you," he blustered, "you always answer!"

"I'm sorry, Louis, but we've all had a long week and I needed just a little more sleep today," Donna responded, instantly on the defensive.

"That's bullshit, since when have you ever needed extra sleep," Louis continued, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "What, is Thomas still here, running around naked?"

Donna hesitated a moment. Better to face it now than deal with the ramifications of lying to Louis. "Thomas and I broke up."

Louis' expression immediately changed to one of concern. "Oh my God! What happened? Is it because of this whole lawsuit against Harvey?"

"It's...complicated." Donna responded. "But I don't really want to talk about it, and you didn't come over here to talk about Thomas, so..."

Louis did not take the hint. "But you were so happy! What happened?" he repeated.

"Just let him in, Donna," Harvey finally called out. He had listened to the entire exchange. Harvey couldn't see Louis, but he could imagine his expression. It would save a lot of time and energy if they just told him now.

"Is that Harvey? Why didn't you tell me he was here?!" Louis blustered. He pushed past Donna as she opened the door all the way. She followed him into the living room where he stopped beside the couch. Her eyes met Harvey's and instantly she felt calmer. She watched the corner of his mouth twitch like it always did when it was game time. This could be fun.

"'Morning, Louis, can I pour you some coffee?" Harvey said casually, as if it was perfectly normal for him to be in Donna's dining room at eight o'clock in the morning.

"No, I don't want coffee, I want to know what the hell you're doing sitting around here instead of at the office trying to make sure my firm doesn't go into the ground!" Louis demanded.

Harvey continued to resist the smile threatening to take over his face. "Well, I woke up here this morning, Louis, what's your excuse?"

Louis opened his mouth to retort and stopped, his mouth frozen open as he realized what Harvey was implying. He looked at Donna, then back at Harvey and noticed the open shirt collar, the tie draped around his neck. Then he noticed the suit jacket laying across the back of the sofa, and finally, his eyes dropped to the floor and saw Harvey's bare feet under the table.

Harvey and Donna exchanged glances as they watched Louis make the connections. Finally, Harvey gave in and grinned.

"Oh my God," Louis repeated. "Holy shit, you two slept together again?! Is that why Donna broke up with Thomas?"

Donna jumped in. "No, Louis, Thomas and I broke up before Harvey showed up last night."

She glanced at Harvey, who was looking at her with a raised eyebrow. She shook her head almost imperceptibly - it was a conversation they would have later.

"So...what? Is this going to be some kind of 'friends with benefits' thing, or...?" Louis wanted to know.

Harvey and Donna exchanged another glance that said everything. Harvey decided to have fun with Louis.

"If you're asking whether Donna and I are just having sex, then the answer is 'no.'" Harvey replied. "If you're asking whether I came over here last night to finally tell Donna how I feel about her and we spent the night making passionate love, falling asleep in each other's arms, then the answer is 'yes'."

Louis opened and closed his mouth, rendered speechless. He looked from Harvey to Donna and then clamped his mouth shut. "I need a day," he finally said, turning and dashing out the door.

Harvey grinned at Donna. "Too much?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot."

"Hey, I had to sit and talk to Louis about masterbating into a cup," Harvey defended himself. He stood and put his coffee cup into the sink. "The least he can do is hear about the amazing sex we had last night."

"It _was_ pretty amazing, wasn't it?" Donna replied seductively, stepping up behind Harvey and snaking her arms around his waist. He turned around and wrapped his own arms around her. He leaned in and their lips met, softly at first, and then he pulled her tightly against him as the kiss deepened.

Moments later, Harvey's cell vibrated in his pocket. He reluctanctly tore his lips from Donna's and pulled out the phone. "It's Ray, wondering if I'm coming down." He sighed. "I should go. Louis is right, we need to make sure the firm is going to get through this. And I still need a shower, probably a cold one..."

Harvey found his socks and shoes and grabbed his suit jacket off the couch. Donna walked him to the door and the two shared another lingering kiss.

"See you at the office," Donna whispered. Another kiss, and he was gone.

Harvey walked off the elevator forty-five minutes later in a fresh suit and tie. If the receptionist had not been looking down at her desk, she would have noticed a difference in his gait, lighter and with even more confidence than normal. If she looked even closer, she would have noticed a slight glow to his skin, and brightness in his eyes. As much as he and Donna would try and hide their relationship from much of the firm for a while, it was going to be obvious to everyone that _something_ was different. It was only a matter of time before the whole world knew.

By the end of the day, Harvey was exhausted, but there was still so much to do. He knew that he would probably be at the office all night working with Samantha to try and salvage Robert's client list. He would much rather be spending it with Donna.

He headed down the hall to his office to grab some files. He and Samantha had ordered Chinese and were about to settle in for a long night. Harvey walked around his desk to grab the papers. He did not see Louis until he had turned to leave.

Harvey had not seen Louis in person since that morning at Donna's. Louis had told Samantha that the two of them were in charge of securing Robert's client list, and Samantha had passed it on to Harvey. The two had been working on it all day.

The Managing Partner was sitting on Harvey's sofa, his hands clasped together, elbows on his knees. He was staring at the ground with a thoughtful yet pissed off look, one that Harvey knew all too well. Louis was about to start yelling about something and Harvey was not in the mood.

"Can I help you with something, Louis?" he asked warily.

Louis looked up at Harvey. "Yeah, you can tell me what the hell you're doing."

"What are you talking about? I'm doing what you asked me to!"

Louis shook his head. "I don't care about Robert's clients. I care about Donna."

Harvey sighed in frustration. The last thing he wanted to do besides spend all night at the office was talk to Louis about his new relationship. "I am _not_ having this conversation with you, Louis."

"Yes. You are," Louis replied, standing up. "Because we both know your track record with women, and I don't want to see Donna get hurt. So, you're going to tell me how you're going to make sure that doesn't happen."

"I'm not going to hurt Donna," Harvey replied calmly.

"Yeah, well, like I said: we all know your track record with women, so forgive me if I don't believe you," Louis repeated. "So, I'm going to ask you again: how do you know that you won't hurt Donna?"

"Louis..." Harvey warned. The last time Louis had pushed that particular button, Harvey had punched him. But Louis ignored him.

"How do you _know?!_" Louis roared.

"Because I'm in love with her!" Harvey shouted back, his face flushed. He closed his eyes and exhaled, the stress of tyring to save Robert's clients and deal with Louis' attack had worn him down. Finally saying those words out loud was an immense release. Although he and Donna had spent the entire night together, most of their communication had been physical rather than verbal. He had said many things to her, but 'I love you' had not yet been one of them. Harvey shrugged at Louis, throwing his hands up in surrender.

"I've loved her since the day we met."

Louis flinched in surprise, not because of Harvey's feelings, but because Harvey was admitting them at all. He had known Harvey for so long, he knew that the man had harbored feelings for his former secretary for a long time. The two men stood in silence for a few moments, one shocked, and one resigned to the fact that he was about to confess everything. Louis let Harvey's last admission sink in, suddenly confused.

"I don't understand. If you've loved her this whole time then why didn't you do anything about it before?"

"You know what I was like back then," Harvey replied. "I wasn't ready for a serious relationship, or any relationship for that matter. We both know I would have screwed it all up and lost her forever."

Louis shrugged in agreement on the subject of Harvey's reputation. But he still could not comprehend what he was hearing. "So, all these years, you've just been hiding your true feelings? What about Scottie...and Paula...?"

Harvey sighed again. "Louis, the year after Sheila and you broke up, you proposed to another woman. Did your feelings for Sheila just go away?"

Louis exhaled and closed his mouth, finally understanding. He shook his head. "No. No, they didn't. I locked that shit up, buried it deep down inside so I would never feel the pain of losing her again." Harvey nodded, raising one eyebrow. Realization hit Louis like a ton of bricks and he nodded back.

"So, instead of risking losing Donna..."

"I opted for second best," Harvey finished.

"Seeing her every day."

"Seeing her, talking to her, hearing her laugh, seeing her smile..." Harvey trailed off, suddenly noticing that he and Louis were no longer alone.

"Louis, can you give us a minute?" a soft voice spoke.

Donna stood in the doorway, her eyes glistening with tears. Harvey met her gaze and held it. When it came to matters of the heart, he and Donna had always been better at non-verbal communication. But now that Harvey had finally admitted his feelings out loud, he decided that was all going to change.

Louis nodded and walked up to Harvey, clapping him on the shoulder. "Good luck, buddy."

"Thanks, Louis," Harvey replied, his eyes never leaving Donna's. _This is it_, he thought. The moment of truth.

"Go easy on him," he whispered as he passed Donna and headed down to Samantha's office to distract her from what was going on down the hall.

As Donna walked down the hall to head home for the night, she wanted to stop by Harvey's office and say good night and good luck. She knew what he and Samantha had been up to all day and that he had to be exhausted, especially after their relatively sleepless night. The closer she got to Harvey's office, she could hear voices. Louis and Harvey were arguing, quite loudly in fact. Suddenly, Donna heard something that made her stop cold.

"Because I'm in love with her!" Harvey shouted. "I've loved her since the day we met."

A million thoughts raced through Donna's head. She couldn't believe Harvey was in there confessing his feelings to Louis, of all people. Or that Harvey had really felt this way for all these years. Her heart began racing as fast as her brain until all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart. She could vaguely hear Harvey and Louis still talking on the other side of the glass, something about hiding feelings and not wanting to lose Donna forever. When she heard Harvey say that thirteen years ago he had settled for second best, she knew she had to take over this conversation herself.

Donna walked the remaining five feet to Harvey's office door and stopped just inside, watching the man she loved talk about her laugh and her smile. He trailed off when he saw her and their eyes met. The look on his face mirrored the look she had seen last night at her door.

"Louis, can we have a moment?"

Louis nodded and walked up to Harvey, clapping him on the shoulder. "Good luck, buddy."

"Thanks, Louis," Harvey replied, his eyes never leaving Donna's.

"Go easy on him," he whispered as he passed Donna and headed for the elevators.

Donna had no intention of going easy on anyone. She held Harvey's gaze and walked slowly into the office, as he walked slowly towards her. They both stopped halfway to each other. Harvey was the first to break the silence.

"How much did you hear?" he asked, taking a few steps closer to her. For once, she couldn't clearly read his expression. Was he scared of what she overheard? Relieved that it was all out in the open? Worried that she wasn't all the way there yet?

"Enough," she admitted. She waited a few seconds for him to say something, but he didn't. "Was any of that true? ...Or was it just something to say to Louis...?" She couldn't believe that he hadn't been completely honest, but she had to know.

"I meant every word."

Donna's heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath and let it out in a frustrated sigh. "So...all this time...all these years, wasted..."

"I wouldn't change a second," Harvey interrupted sincerely, taking another step closer so they were within arm's length.

Donna's eyes searched his. She wasn't entirely sure he was telling the truth. She furrowed her brows. "Not even a little?" Harvey shook his head. "Really? Not at all?"

Harvey grinned and took her hands in his. "Listen to me, Donna, we've had a lot of great times, but we've also been through a _lot _of shit together over the years," he explained, becoming more serious. "And the fact that we survived all of that, and we're _still _standing here, madly in love with each other, tells me that we can survive anything."

Donna took another deep breath. She smiled at Harvey, her eyes twinkling, not with tears anymore, but with giddy happiness. "Madly in love, huh?" she teased, raising her eyebrows playfully.

Harvey smiled back. "Yes," he said, closing the rest of the distance between them. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close against him. "I am madly...deeply...completely...hopelessly in love. With you."

Donna's eyes filled with tears again as she gazed back at the man she had loved for so long. "And I am madly...deeply...completely...passionately in love with _you_."

As Harvey leaned in to kiss her, he gave her his most charming smile. "Just remember who said it first..."


End file.
